A Montco Movie Palace

What started as an ordinary childhood trip to the movies for
Ed Buchinski in 1974 turned out to have great significance later in life.

"My parents took me to see Benji, and I remember that the theater in Lansdale had a large chandelier
suspended from the ceiling. It was scary," Buchinski remembers. "I was worried
that it was going to fall. It didn't, obviously, and we watched the movie.

"But as we left, my parents said the theater was going to be
torn down soon, and I cried. I actually cried as a child at the thoughts of
such a beautiful building being lost."

More than 30 years later, that episode - among other
influences - propelled him to save and renovate The Grand Theater in East Greenville.
Now in its 10th year of operation as a restored jewel, the Grand stands as a
true Montgomery County movie palace, a place to enjoy this year's Oscar winners
in 1924-style opulence.

"I bought the property at a sheriff's sale with the intent
of turning it into a commercial storefront and renting it," Buchinski says. "It
was in sad shape: abandoned, damaged by neglect and weather and completely
stripped - seats, projector, sound system, everything. The former owner even
removed the toilet paper rolls from the bathroom."

Buchinski's diligence, vision and attention to detail is
reflected through the present-day auditorium. The aisles are neatly arranged,
and the walls combine richly appointed wallpaper with plaster decorative
squares. The curved molding where the tin-tiled ceiling meets the walls holds
rows of warm lights to illuminate the perimeter. Augmenting the beautiful
sightlines is the scent of fresh popcorn, which wafts through the house like
subtle perfume.

In an effort to recreate the movie-going experience of his
boyhood, Buchinski has added touches that are rarely seen in movieplexes of
today.

For example, a handsome red curtain hides the screen, and
each showing begins with its dramatic parting. "Young kids come in and ask,
‘Where's the screen?' I think making them wait to see it builds excitement, so
we don't reveal it until we're just about to start the show," he says.

Other policies underscore the idea of movie-as-event at the
Grand: The concessionaire dresses in a uniform (tux pants, bow tie, ruffled
shirt, burgundy jacket), and the theater does not run preshow advertisements. "Soda
commercials ruin the magic," Buchinski says. "Even though I could make money
from it. I decided not to."

The other throwback to the vintage Hollywood years is Linda.

"Linda" is one of two massive theater organs that grace the
front of the theater. Side-by-side, these massive music machines evoke a time
when silent films required live accompaniment, supplied by organists who either
played from a studio-supplied score or improvised their way through 60+ minutes
of silver-screen storytelling.

The 1924 edition of the theater had no provision for an
organ - much less two - owing to a connection between the then-owner and a
six-piece orchestra that played during the features. To install an instrument
of the size and power Buchinski wanted, much of the stage behind the screen was
given over to the mechanics.

As we tour, the Grand's organist, Carl Black Jr., is on
hand, and Buchinski arranges for him to raise the screen. Its absence reveals a
wonderworks of air-driven pipes, gizmos and gadgets, as if Willy Wonka himself
had designed a musical instrument. As Buchinski shows me the inner workings,
Black begins to play. Bass notes resonate deeply in my solar plexus as his feet
crawl crab-like down the lower notes of the pedalboard.

The Grand may revive traditions of movie houses from long
ago, but its technology is clearly 21st century. The sound system is
state-of-the-art; the projector is digital; and the auditorium can accommodate
group-play of Xbox games on a supersized scale.

One of the challenges in managing a single-screen house is
that it frequently sells out. "When we showed Frozen," Buchinski recalls, "I had lines and lines and lines of
little girls waiting to get in. And when we could not accommodate any more of
these little Elsas and Annas, it was me who
had to go outside and ask them to come back to another show. I had to deal with
all those tears!"

Occupational hazard, it seems. One of the few drawbacks to
doing something he loves so clearly.

If there is any other downside to running The Grand Theater
for Buchinski it is this: He seldom, if ever, watches any of the films that are
screened daily. "I'm too much of a control freak," he says. "I'm constantly looking
at the quality of the picture, listening to the sound, evaluating the
experience. I'm way too busy. If I even see one piece of popcorn on the floor
as I'm walking by, I've got to go get it and pick it up."

"So," I ask. "When you want to enjoy a movie, where do you
go?"

He smiles before answering: "Netflix."

In this post-Oscar period, it is worth noting that the film Grand Hotel won Best Picture way back in
1932, when The Grand was only eight years old. Montgomery County has more than
its share of "grand hotels" participating in our winter
promotion. For details, see our website.
After an evening at the movies (in East Greenville or anywhere else), tell your
family, friends and neighbors about it by sharing a comment online, using
#MakeItMontco.

Author: Dan Weckerly - VFTCB Communications Manager

Dan Weckerly, VFTCB Communications Manager, has lived in Montgomery
County since 1988 but is still discovering its many treasures, which
provides the basis for The Pursuit. He is well-traveled across
the U.S. and even lived in London, but more commonly shares his
household with a wife of more than 25 years, three daughters and a boisterous
Labrador Retriever.